Once and for All
by Lawbreaker13
Summary: Ladybug's saying it again: "Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth." But Chat Noir really doesn't want to hear it-unless he can get some proof. Time to go check the house again, and get to the bottom of this once and for all.
1. Denial

**Warning:** References to the season 2 episode _The Collector_. If you haven't watched it yet, major spoilers ahead.

* * *

 **Once and for All**

* * *

"Cut it out."

"Chat Noir, it's true."

"No. No it's not."

"It is."

"Stop it."

"I know it's difficult to believe, but the facts are all right there."

"It's not possible. He was akumatized, remember?"

"He did it to lead us off his trail. I just explained this to you. He-"

" _You're lying._ "

"Call me a lot of things, Chat Noir, but do _not_ call me a liar."

"For the last time, Gabriel Agreste is not Hawkmoth."

It was midday in Paris, France. It was a warm, sunny, all-around good weather day, but to a certain Parisian superhero, it just felt like a cold and stormy midnight. Ladybug and Chat Noir were crouched on a rooftop somewhere in between their respective homes. They had agreed to meet up to discuss an important lead that Ladybug had been following for weeks on the identity of Hawkmoth. Every road on this lead brought Ladybug back to the same conclusion-Gabriel Agreste was definitely Hawkmoth.

Of course for reasons obvious to those with omniscient knowledge of Paris's events, the idea that Gabriel Agreste could possibly be France's most malicious and destructive supervillain was incredibly distressing to Chat Noir. And no matter how much pushing Ladybug did, he wasn't buying it.

"Chat Noir. Listen to me." Ladybug reached out to place a hand on her partner's shoulder. He pulled away. She retracted her hand, albeit concerned. "I know it's hard to take in. And trust me, I don't want to either. I think he's an amazing fashion designer, and you wouldn't _believe_ how much respect I have for him and his family." Ladybug's mind briefly drifted to a certain classmate of hers who also went by the last name Agreste. Chat Noir thought of his mother. "But everything we've seen repeatedly leads us back to this. We've suspected him before, and he threw us off his trail. _Successfully._ That's exactly something Hawkmoth would do if he knew we were onto him."

Chat Noir stood from his crouch and began to slowly walk away from Ladybug. She stood as well, but stayed in place, continuing to speak.

"You've seen the logos on his work. He rarely leaves his house. He was conveniently akumatized _the day_ we went after him? And forget what we've already discussed-what about the fact that his son only began attending school within the same 24 hours of Hawkmoth's first strike? That's no coincidence, that's plotting."

Chat Noir closed his eyes and clenched his fist. As he released the tension in his hand, he spoke, eyes still closed and back still turned.

"Do...do you really think he would do that? Use his son as a pawn?" Chat Noir turned to face Ladybug, clearly holding back tears. "Do you really think he only allowed his son to go to school because it would work to his own advantage?"

Ladybug saw the hurt in her partner's eyes. She understood how painful it must be to think of someone using a family member like that. And if anyone felt bad for Adrien, it was definitely her. Still, Chat Noir must have something personal to relate to this, because it really seemed to hit him hard. Family trauma of his own maybe? Didn't matter right now, they had to focus. Personal lives aside.

"If he really is Hawkmoth, I wouldn't put it past him." She stepped closer to Chat. He put his head down. "Fashion empire? He has the means. Missing wife? He has the motives. And I just _know_ he has the Miraculous." Chat Noir sighed and looked up at Ladybug, this time without any visible emotion.

"You've really been doing your research, haven't you?"

She nodded.

He turned around and grabbed his staff out of his belt loop.

"Let's go." And with that, Chat Noir launched himself in the direction of the Agreste mansion, Ladybug in tow.

* * *

Within minutes, the superhero duo was on the sill of the window to Gabriel Agreste's home office. Chat Noir put his head down and took a deep breath. Ladybug looked at him, concerned. Something about all this was really eating at him. And she had a disturbing feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

"Kitty?" she asked, trying to get his attention as gently as possible. "Are...are you okay?"

He couldn't lie to her. He couldn't even look at her. Head still down, Chat let out a small grunt in reply. He then proceeded to slam his fist against the window, smashing it to pieces. Chat Noir jumped inside, leaving an increasingly worried Ladybug staring at him in both awe and indescribable concern. After a moment of hesitation, she followed him in.

Ladybug looked around the empty room as Chat continued to head for the door. "He's not in here?" she questioned. "I...I didn't think he ever left this ro-"

"He doesn't." Chat interrupted firmly as he slammed the door open, paying absolutely no attention to anything broken he may have been leaving in his path. Ladybug followed him out the door and into the wide hallway, the one she had stood in several times before, but never as a welcomed guest. Chat Noir marched forward angrily, each step hitting the ground with all the force his indestructible combat boots could handle. After a moment, footsteps were heard coming from the upper level of the house and Chat Noir looked up to see Nathalie following the railing around towards the stairs. She was clearly involved in something on her tablet, as she was staring down intently and hitting the screen repeatedly with her stylus. She was so engulfed in what she was doing, she didn't notice the two teenagers standing in the hallway-one growing angrier by the moment and the other focusing solely on her partner's growing emotional instability. Nathalie passed the door to Adrien's room, heading for the staircase. As she approached it, Chat Noir stomped his foot and spoke.

"Where's Gabriel Agreste?" Chat demanded, rather than asked. Nathalie's attention was immediately drawn to the floor and she jumped back, startled.

"Chat Noir! Ladybug! Is there a reason for this unexpected v-"

"Where's Gabriel Agreste?"

Nathalie began to back up as Chat Noir angrily climbed the stairs at three times her pace. Ladybug inched forward.

"Um, well, Mister Agreste is busy at the moment, he has a-"

 _"Where is Gabriel Agreste?"_

Ladybug stopped moving.

"Chat Noir, if this is an emergency, I can see if-"

"Cataclysm."

His hand began to glow black.

He approached Nathalie.

She stumbled.

"Um, well, I can, uh, I can go see if I can find Mister Agreste if you'd li-"

"NATHALIE."

Chat Noir raised his hand above his head.

Both women gasped.

 _"WHERE. IS. MY FATHER?"_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This was just an idea I couldn't get out of my head. I haven't actually written in a couple years (and never before for ML), so sorry if I'm a little out of practice. I think this is a one-shot, but I'm considering another couple chapters. It all depends on how this one's received, so...feedback!

And thanks for reading!


	2. Anger

_"WHERE. IS. MY FATHER?"_

Nathalie's eyes went huge in shock and she fell to the ground. Chat Noir was still hovering over her, cataclysmic right hand just a few short feet away from her face. Nathalie stuttered for a moment while her thoughts tripped over themselves more than her words. Seeing the anger growing in Chat, no, _Adrien's_ eyes and knowing full well what he could do with just a swipe of his hand, she came to the only logical conclusion possible-take him to his father. Nathalie had always worried this day would come.

But man, she just did not think it was going to happen like this.

"Uh, w-uh, y-yes, of course." Nathalie backed herself up on her hands and stood, clearing her throat and doing her best to regain her composure. She left her tablet on the floor hoping it wasn't cracked (though that wasn't really the concern at hand) and quickly moved around Chat Noir at as safe distance as she could, leading him down the stairs. "Please come with me. I'll take you to him."

Chat began to follow her, blood still boiling, and as they reached the bottom of the stairs, he made quick eye contact with Ladybug, telling her to follow him. Ladybug was still standing at the bottom of the stairs, however, mouth ajar and eyes wide, trying to piece together what had just happened. In her mind, it sounded something like, "Father...but...Chat...Gabriel...Chat...hang on...bu-Chat... _Adrien_...FATHER?"

It wasn't very coherent.

Ladybug blinked a few quick times and shook her head back and forth, just enough enough to put everything out of her mind for the time being.

Focus. Gabriel Agreste. Hawkmoth. Worry about everything else _later._

Ladybug turned around and ran to follow Chat Noir and Nathalie back into Gabriel's office. They were just approaching the large yellow painting up against the back wall (which Ladybug could only assume was a depiction of Gabriel's missing wife, Emilie) when Ladybug caught up with them. Nathalie sighed and looked at the two superheros standing to her right.

"Stand here, both of you," she said monotonously pointing to a small area on the floor which, with very close inspection, could be made out to be a small circular platform. The two of them complied, standing back to back in the area on the outlined circle. Chat Noir eyed her suspiciously, but Nathalie looked at him and nodded. She turned back towards the painting and moved in front of them, placing both of her hands on either side of the canvas and running them both along the middle until she was able to locate the correct buttons to press. Nathalie pushed her fingers in, pressing 6 individual triangular buttons hidden in the abstractedness of the painting. A large mechanical sound could be heard coming from underneath the house, and the floor beneath Ladybug and Chat Noir began to slowly pull them downwards. As soon as they were out of sight, Nathalie sighed and shook her head.

"Good luck with this one," she said to no one in particular, though she very well could have been referring to either one of the Agreste men _or_ herself. She quickly jogged back to the stairs to recover her tablet and make a few house adjustments to aid her employer.

* * *

Underneath the house, on the small moving platform, Chat Noir and Ladybug stood in silence with their backs still touching, Chat holding his cataclysmic hand out in front of his chest to keep himself from accidentally misusing it. The platform was taking its usual course-down, backwards, and up to the lair. Yes, it was complicated, but was Gabriel Agreste ever a man of simplicity?

After a moment, Ladybug sighed and decided to break the silence.

"Chat Noir?" She could feel him turn his head just enough to see her in his peripheral vision. She turned to match his gaze. "Are you sure you can you do this?"

Chat turned back around and breathed a heavy sigh out his nose. "Yeah. I can." His voice was gruff and unfeeling.

Ladybug turned a bit more to look at him. She saw that look in his eyes again. The one she could now pinpoint as a whole lot more personal than what she had thought just twenty minutes earlier. "Are you sure? I'm right here. You can stay back if this is going to be too much for you. It's alright to back out."

Chat turned to look at her again, this time more directly. There was very little light as they moved down underneath the house, backwards, and upwards again, but enough shone in through the passing floors for Chat to make hard eye-contact with his Lady.

"No. This is my fight."

Ladybug opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it. She shut her mouth quickly and nodded her head in understanding. She wasn't going to interfere with family business. Not until she needed to anyway.

His fight.

"Okay."

They both turned back outwards, staying quiet for just a moment more. As they began to hear mumbled speaking from above-the direction they were headed, so they could only assume it was Hawkmoth-Chat decided there was one thing left to say.

"Ladybug?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

It was one word, one syllable, just one sound, but she understood paragraphs. Especially coming from Chat. Especially now. She smiled.

"Always."

Chat Noir smiled just the slightest bit. The look on his face immediately turned back to stone the moment he could make out words coming from a certain city- as well as son-betraying villain standing just inches above their heads, and the two of them rose to the surface of a dark room, lit only by a single, large window that was shining light down on a swarm of white butterflies and a single major figure in the room. His back was turned, and he was oblivious to the two teenagers standing just feet away from him as he spoke.

"Ah yes, 'Truth or Dare' can be such an embarrassing game. Don't fret, young child. As Daredevil, you will no longer have to do as bullies ask, for they will do what you tell them! Fly my little akuma, and-"

"Don't. You. Dare."

Hawkmoth turned around slowly. Though he would never have expected a visitor in _here_ -let alone these two, _and_ while he was monologuing-he refused to show any sort of surprise to the heroes. Chat Noir took a step forward, hands back at his side, but positioned as if he were ready to claw someone's eyes out. "Never again," he said. Ladybug watched. Chat was right. This was his fight.

Hawkmoth wiped all shock off his face before they could see it, grinning mischievously at the two Miraculous holders he was just about to set out after. Now he didn't have to! His prey had come right to him.

"Chat Noir," Hawkmoth drawled out. "How kind of you to visit. Though I wasn't expecting guests this evening. You didn't even give me a moment to prepare my quarters!"

"No need to decorate, _Gabriel_. We're only here for one thing."

"And what might that be?"

"Give us your Miraculous."

Hawkmoth laughed. "My how the tables have turned. But I'm afraid I can't do that, Chat Noir. Because as you see- _akumatize him!_ " Hawkmoth pointed his purple cane at Chat Noir, who was clearly enraged enough to be easily akumatized. Because he had never finished commanding the akuma from earlier, it stayed had contained within the room. But now, it was fluttering quickly from the window to Chat Noir, ready to inhabit whatever it could find.

Chat tried thinking on his feet, but noticed he had taken off running at the man clad in purple before he could even think. It was all instinct, no thought necessary. Outrunning a butterfly? He could do this.

As Chat Noir approached him, Hawkmoth quickly moved his cane from his right to his left hand and popped open the hidden compartment with his thumb. His right hand began reaching for the cane's hidden blade, but before he could grab it, it was pulled right out of his hand. It was a Miraculous weapon, it wasn't supposed to break! It should have been indestructible! And yet the indigo object shattered as it hit the ground, ripped from Hawkmoth's grasp by a very angry black cat who was still moving quick as lightning. A dark purple akuma just millimeters from his face, in one swift motion, Chat Noir had grabbed the cane with his left hand, smashed it on the ground with all the force he could manage, and with Cataclysm still radiating from his right hand, he ripped the little butterfly button right off of Hawkmoth's chest.

Chat Noir held the brooch in his hand, grip tight around the little butterfly as Hawkmoth registered what had just happened. Chat opened his hand, allowing Hawkmoth to watch as his Miraculous turned black and slowly disintegrated, and just as the akuma would have inhabited Chat Noir, it turned back to a solid white butterfly in a cloud of smoke.

"No!" Hawkmoth cried out, arms open in despair. A bright purple light radiated up from his feet to his head, turning his back into the dreaded Gabriel Agreste.

There was no denying it now. He was standing right there. It was definitely him.

And that only fired Chat up more.

Ladybug gasped at, well, everything.

It had all happned so fast, she wasn't sure she had taken it all in yet.

But then the room went dark.

Gabriel chuckled. "Good work, Nathalie," he said, pretty much to himself. "As you can see-or, can't see, rather-Nathalie has engaged the house's defense systems. And while I cannot initiate this room's defense missiles while I myself am in here, you two have no way out, and I still have one trick up my sleeve." Chat Noir, using his night vision, could just barely make out Gabriel reaching inside his jacket for something as the swarm of butterflies continued to flutter around them. "Don't worry. You'll be able to watch your defeat soon enough. The emergency lights will turn on in five minutes. But you just used your Cataclysm. And if I'm correct, five minutes is just enough time for-"

 _Beep beep._

One claw down.

Gabriel smirked.

"For that."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** What could Gabe be reaching for? What will happen to the miraculous? Find out next time! (Or not...)  
Okay but seriously, I've gotten a lot of great feedback on this so far, and thank you all so much for that 'cause I really appreciate it, so here's an update, with a few more chapters on the way. Enjoy! ^_^


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